Civil War 150th Anniversary
Sesquicentennial
Program of Events,
March—May 2011
You are respectfully invited to honor
the 150th Anniversary of the American
Civil War in a series of programming
throughout Andover.
In April, 1866, following the Civil War, the town of Andover voted to raise $4,500 to build a Civil War monument. Andover mill owner John Smith gave $25,000 toward the building of a combination Civil War memorial and library, with the proviso that the money be matched—which it was through gifts and the Civil War monument fund. Mr. Smith suggested the Elm Square location where Joseph Abbott's furniture shop stood until it burned in 1866.
Memorial Hall Library opened on Memorial Day, May 30, 1873, with a procession, including a brass band, and a speech by the well-known Reverend Phillips Brooks, descendent of a prominent Andover family. Within the Hall, marble tablets list men who fought, and 51 who died, for the preservation of the Union. The names of all of the Andover men enrolled in the Army and Navy during the
"War of the Rebellion" were placed in a box within the cornerstone.
Memorial Hall's Civil War artifacts, books, and portraits were later joined by a G.A.R. banner, an original Lincoln drawing, and anti-slavery material. The books have been relocated for preservation purposes. The Hall remains Andover's Civil War memorial, the place to show schoolchildren and adults the sacrifice of the people of Andover and the role they played in the Civil War.
Photo credit: Wendy Cahill
Susan B. Anthony: The Invincible!
Sunday, March 20 at 2:00 pm
Memorial Hall Library, 2 North Main St.
Register
online or call 978-623-8401 x31
Celebrate Women's History Month and the
Civil War Sesquicentennial with
abolitionist, suffragist, and women's
rights activist, Susan B. Anthony.
Using Susan B. Anthony's own words-her
fiery speeches, humorous letters, and
revealing diary entries, Andover
resident, Sally Matson has woven
together a story filled with wit and
emotion that includes the Underground
Railroad, the Civil War, the 13th-15th
Amendments, and Anthony's arrest and
trial for voting illegally.
Addy's American Girl Tea Party
Thursday, March 24 from 3:30-5:00 pm
Andover Historical Society, 97 Main St.
Cost: $15 per child (ages 7-11), $10 per
adult
Register
online
or call 978-475-2236
 It's been 150 years since the Civil War.
Learn what life was like for Addy and
other children of the mid-19th century
while hearing the unique stories of
Andover and the heroes that lived here.
Join in making special crafts, playing
games, and sitting down for a delightful
tea party.
An Exploration of Civil War Narratives
Thursday, March 24 at 6:30 pm
Addison Gallery of American Art,
Phillips Academy, 180 Main St.
Register
online or call 978-623-8401 x31
What stories can Civil War images tell?
How do contemporary artworks in the
Addison's collection complement historic
images to offer multiple narratives
about the Civil War? Join us at the
Addison Gallery of American Art at
Phillips Academy for exploration and
discussion of relationships between
historic and contemporary works that
speak to this seminal event in United
States history. The exploration
includes close up viewing of Alexander
Gardner's photographic albums,
illustrations by Winslow Homer, and
artworks by Kara Walker in the Addison's
the new Museum Learning Center.
 Mark Twain's
Life on the Mississippi: A look
at pre-Civil War America
Tuesdays, April 5, 12, 19, & 26 from
1:00-2:30 pm
Andover Senior Center, 30 Whittier
Court, 978-623-8321
Cost: $16 Register at the Andover Senior
Center
Explore our coming of age in literature,
economics, and world history. This
lecture and discussion will focus on
Twain's years on the river as a
riverboat pilot, the happiest time of
his life. Suggested source: Signet
Classic Edition ($4.95). ISBN
9780553213492. During four
sessions we will discuss Ch. IV-XIII;
Ch. XIV-XXII; Ch. XXVIII-XXXVII; and Ch.
XLI-LII. Ned Martin, instructor.
Abby Locke's Splendid Days: A Teenager's
Diary in 1860s Andover
Tuesday, April 5 at 7:00 pm
Memorial Hall Library, 2 North Main St.
2011 marks the 150th anniversary of the
beginning of the Civil War as well as
the Locke family's arrival in Andover.
This theatrical presentation of Abby
Locke's diary entries (begun when she
was 14 years old) will provide a fresh
perspective on the daily life of a
teenage girl during the Civil War era.
Andover in the mid 1800s was a strict
and conservative town, but the Lockes
were among those in town who were more
tolerant and cosmopolitan in their
attitudes. Abby's diary describes the
social activities, the clothes and, of
course, the boys that fill her
"splendid" days.
 Abraham
Lincoln Returns
Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Register
online or call 978-623-8401 x31
Steve Wood returns to Andover by popular
demand to perform his first-person
historical interpretation of Abraham
Lincoln's life.
This program will feature anecdotes from
Lincoln's early years, his adult life,
and events that led to the Civil War.
Steve and his wife Sharon have been
recognized by the Association of Lincoln
Presenters as the "Best Abraham and Mary
Lincoln Team" for 2003 and 2006. Steve
took second place in the Hodgenville, KY
"Lincoln Look-Alike Contest" in 2000.
 Team of Rivals Book Discussion
Thursday, April 7 from 1:00-2:30 pm
Memorial Hall Library, 2 North Main St.
Register
online or call 978-623-8401 x31
Bring a bag lunch, and discuss Doris
Kearns Goodwin's book
Team of Rivals:
The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.
Desserts will be provided. Come for the
discussion even if you don't finish the
book.
 Gone with the Wind
Mondays, April 11, 25, & May 2 at 1:00
pm
Andover Senior Center, 30 Whittier
Court, 978-623-8321
This epic Civil War film has been
recently restored and supplemented with
a documentary of its development. For
three weeks enjoy commentary by local
film buff Steve Levine. Frankly, my
dear, you will give a damn!
Photo credit: Daniel Paier
On the Brink of Civil War: Fort Sumter
at 150
Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Memorial Hall Library, 2 North Main St.
On the 150th anniversary of the
Confederate attack on Fort Sumter, the
first official act of violence in the
Civil War, we will consider how the U.S.
got to the point of war. We will look at
the motives of Confederates and will
consider how the North reacted to
secession and this ultimate act of
defiance to U.S. authority, the firing
on the U.S. flag at Fort Sumter.
Presented by Michael Pierson, Associate
Professor, UMass Lowell Department of
History.
Grand Old Army 38 Star Banner Incorporation of William F. Bartlett Post 99, 4/18/1881. Conserved in 2002. Memorial Hall Library
Tour of the Civil War Memorial in
Memorial Hall Library
Wednesday, April 13 at 1:00 pm and
Tuesday, April 19 at 9:00 am
Memorial Hall Library, 2 North Main St.
Tour Memorial Hall to see the artifacts
and memorabilia including swords and
holders, guns, and anti-slavery banners.
View the memorial plaques, portraits,
and a rare drawing of Abraham Lincoln.
Civil War Life and Medicine
Wednesday, April 27 at 12:00 pm
Andover
Senior Center, 30 Whittier Court,
978-623-8321
Cost: $2 Register at the
Andover Senior Center
This film, made during Civil War
re-enactments in Lexington and Concord,
covers life in a civil war camp and
medical treatment for troops. Infused
with civil war-period music, it explores
women's roles in battles against the
British. Dan Trembley, filmmaker.
Please bring a brown bag lunch. Dessert
and beverage included.
Thank you to the following program
sponsors and partners:
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